Folding car-step attachment.



A. SHOOTMAN. TOLDINGBAR STEP ATTACHMENT. ATPLIUATIOT Hman sErT.2s,19os.

1H: MORRIS PETERS ca wAsHmcnN, nV c.

i SHOOPMAN. FOLDING CAB STEP ATTACHMENT. APPLICATION FILED snf". as. 190s.

` 908,043. l Patented Dec.29, 1908.

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A. SHOOPMAN.- FOLDING GAR STEP ATTACHMENT. APPLIOATION HLM) SEPT. 2a, 190s.

908,043. Patented 13120.29, 190s.

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' ANDREW SHOOPMAN, or DUKE, OKLAHOMA.- j

FOLDING cen-STEP n'rreomvmnr.

Specication of Letters Patent.'

Patented Dec. 29, isos.

l ,Y Application filed September 2B, 1908i Seraliio. 455,962,

To all whom it may concern.' j Y' f Beit known that-1, ANDREW SHO'OPMA'N, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duke, in the county of Jackson and State of IGklahoma, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Folding Car-Step Attachments, of which the following is` a specification. i

This invention relates to railway cars and moreparticularly to steps therefor, and has for its object to provide an arrangement including auxiliary steps for use in vconnection with the car steps of usual form, soarranged that they may be easily and quickly moved into and out of operative position, thus doing.

away with the use of step, boxes ordinarily employed at stations and depots. j

Another Objectis to provide ajstructure which will be relatively simple and which may be easily installedv Other objects and advantageswill be ape parent from the following description and it will be understoodthat changes in the specilic'structure may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. A, l Y

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification and'in which Vlike numerals of referenceindicate similar parts in the severalV views, Figurel is anend view of a portion of a railroad car with the present step arrange-v ment applied thereto, the steps being shown in folded position and being indicated in operative position in dotted lines, Fig..2 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 1, the steps being in operativevposition, Fig. 3 is a vtransverse section'of the platform taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, Fig. A is a bottom lan,Fig. 5

is an elevational view similar toj i ig. 1, show-`r in a different form of lever, Fig. 6 is a view ta en on line 6+6 of Fig. 3, showing the mechanism in rear elevation'.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a car platform 7, including the rear' ward transverse beam 8 and the usual steps 9. .The steps include the treads 10 and risers 11, and the usual diagonal side members 12. A supporting yoke 13 is pivoted at its bight to the underside of the upper` most step tread10,`by means of straps' 14, which have their outer ends engaged between the tread 10 and the riser 11 which is attached thereto. 'The inner ends of these stra s are secured by suitable fasteners 15. Tide legs of the yoke 13 extend downwardly to a plane below the tread of the lowermost step, where they vare pivoted against the outer faces of-horizontal parallel members 17, which have a sup lemental step 18 securedY upon their forwar portions.`

A second yoke 19V is pivoted to the under face of the lowermost step 10, and has its legs extended downwardly'from the step, and pivoted against the-outer faces Vof the memoers 17, adjacentlto the forward ends thereof. 'The arrangement is thus such that the members 17 may be moved longitudinally, and'it will be seen that outward movement of these members will also, cause them to 'be Vmoved. downwardly, by reason of the *arrangement of the yoke 19, so that the-members when Vat `lthe inward limit of their movement lie Awith their step 18 against the Vunder face of the lowermost step 10, and when at the outward limit of their move* ment, they lie with the step 18 outwardly of the lowermost step 10 and in spaced relation thereto, for cooperation with the steps 10 as will be understood. Y, j

A supporting yoke 20, similar to the yoke 19, Vis'pivoted to the under surface of the step 18, and has its depending legs 20 pivoted against the outer faces of a second pair of parallel horizontal members 21, the rearward portions of these members being supported by links 22 pivoted to the outer faces of these members and also to the inner faces of the members 17. It will thus vbe seen,4 that Vlongitudinal movement of the vmembers 21` will bring them into position to lie at times with their upper portion between carriedby their forward portions, against the under face of the step 13. The members 21 will lie in thisposition'when at the rearward limit of their movement, and will lie in the members 117 and with a step 23 which is spaced relation to the members 17 'and with the step 23 projected outwardly beyond the step 18, when the members are at the outward limit of their movement.

It will be observed that, when the members` 17 have been moved downwardly and outwardly, as just described, their outward movement willl be limited by the rise 11 which rise is just below the uppermost step 10, the legs of the yoke 13 coming into engagement with this rise as will be understood, ,and as will be seen from the drawings. The outward limit of movement of the second horizontal members 21 is determined by upwardly extending members 25, which are lsecured to the inner faces of the members 21, and which are located in position to engage the rearward edge of the steps 18.

A pair of hangers 26 are connected with the platform 6, and depend therefrom, and these hangers have a crank shaft 27 engaged pivotally at its ends therein. This crank shaft includes a downwardly directed crank 28, and a rearwardly directed crank 29. The downwardly directed crank is connected by means of links 30 with the rearward portion of the members 21, the connection of these links with the members being through the medium of pivot bolts 32 which also connect the links 22 with the members 21.

The rearwardly extending crank 29 has an upwardly extending link 33 connected therewith, and this link is pivoted to an angle lever 34 which is mounted upon the hand rail 35 of the platform. This angle lever is connected by means of a ivoted rod 36 with a vertically extending and lever 37, pivoted to the beam outwardly of the step 9 and movable to shift the angle lever upon its pivot. As shown, the hand lever 37 is provided with a rack and dog mechanism to hold the lever in different positions.

As will be seen from the drawings, rearward movement of the hand lever 37 will cause the angle lever 34 to move upon its pivot, the crank shaft being rocked to move its downwardly extending crank 2S forwardl which, through the medium of the links 30 will project the members 17 and 21 outwardly to bring the steps 18 and 23 into operative position. The reverse movement of the hand lever will of course return the steps to inoperative position.

In liig. 5 of the drawings, there is shown a form of the invention in which a link 40 is connected with the cranks 28, the crank 29 not being used with this modification, and has a ball and socket connection indicated at 41 with a vertically extending lever 42 revolubly mounted in the platform as shown at 43 and connected with a hand lever 44.

What is claimed is 1. In a structure of the class described, the combination with steps, of depending members pivoted to the steps for movement to shift their lower ends horizontally, horizontal members pivoted to the lower ends of the supporting members, an auxiliary step carried by the outer ends of the horizontal niembers, depending supporting members pivoted to the said horizontal members for movement to shift their lower ends longitudinally of said horizontal members, a second pair ol' horizontal members pivoted to the lower ends of the second named supporting members, a second auxiliary step carried by the second named horizontal members, and means for shifting the horizontal members.

2. ln a structure of the class described, the combination with ear steps, of a yoke pivoted at its bight to one of said car steps and having its legs extending downwardly, said yoke being movable to shift the lower ends horizontally, a pair of horizontal parallel spaced members pivoted to the lower ends of the legs of the yoke, a step carried by said horizontal members, for movement with said members into and out of position to cooperate with the first named steps, a yoke pivoted to the under face of the auxiliary steps and having downwardly extending legs movable horizontally, depending horizontally movable links pivoted to the rearward portion of said horizontal members, a second pair of horizontal members pivoted to the lower ends o'l the legsr of the second named yoke and to the lower ends of the links for movement to lie at times between the lower portions of the first named horizontal members and at times below said members and with then` outer ends projected outwardly beyond said Alirst named 3 hi ANDREW (Xs) sHooPMliN.

mark Vitnesses:

E. C. PooL,Y f* J. G. WALnRoP. 

